ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN NUCLEAR SECURITY

The current demand for electricity and concern of the climate change in emerging countries has led to the rise in the number of nations adopting nuclear power. The threat posed by the rise in global terrorism poses a critical challenge - both to national and international security- in implementing this technology in these countries. Nigeria is one of such nations that has started the process of adopting nuclear power for electricity generation in order to meet national development goals. Presently, the country operates a research reactor (NIRR-1) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) core as its fuel, a Gamma Irradiation Facility for shelf-life improvement of food, neutron sources for well logging activities, and other services that use ionizing radiation. Nigeria is presently experiencing the combined challenge of terrorism and regional instability which has resulted in an increase in threats to the territorial integrity of the country and its neighbors. In as much as the inclusion of nuclear power will be beneficial to Nigeria, the implementation inadvertently brings security concerns. Sustaining the current progress in implementation of nuclear program requires the continuous building of requisite human resource base alongside the needed critical infrastructure. This resource base creates an enabling environment for peaceful and robust nuclear power program that conforms to international best practices. This research is focused on developing an agenda and framework that supports a national need for education and continuing training in nuclear security. Development of such a framework and a method to employ it facilitates a smooth implementation of a nuclear power program and will enhance the technical competencies necessary for safe, secure, and sustainable operation.